Comet Lovejoy C/2014 Q2, is heading our way out of deep space and gliding up out of the southern sky. Estimates have it brightening to 5th magnitude by late December through much of January as it climbs into excellent viewing position for those in the northern hemisphere. This means a naked-eye comet could be visible this winter.
Australian amateur astronomer Terry Lovejoy discovered the comet on August 17, 2014 using an Celestron C-8 fitted with a CCD camera at his roll-off roof observatory in Brisbane, Australia. This is the 5th comet he’s bagged.
Comet Lovejoy or “Q2” as it’s being called is a long-period comet, but this is not its first time coming through the inner solar system. It has an orbital period of roughly 11,500 years.
See the finder chart below from Sky & Telescope.
Here are some important dates concerning Comet Lovejoy from Universe Today:
December
28- Crosses into the constellation Lepus.
29- Passes less than 10’ (a third of the diameter of the Full Moon) from the 7.7 magnitude globular cluster NGC 1904 (Messier 79).
January
1- May break naked eye visibility at magnitude +6.
2- Passes into the constellation Eridanus and reaches opposition at 0.49 A.U.s from the Earth.
5- The Moon reaches Full, hampering observations.
7- May reach a peak brightness at +4th magnitude.
7- Passes closest to Earth 0.47 AU, moving at an apparent speed of almost 3 degrees a day.
9- Crosses the celestial equator into the constellation Taurus.
17- Crosses the ecliptic plane and into the constellation Aries.
20- Moon reaches New phase, marking a favorable span for observation.
22- Passes within one degree of the 3.6 magnitude star 41 Arietis.
25- Crosses into the constellation Triangulum.
30- Reaches perihelion at 1.29 A.U.
30- Crosses into the constellation Andromeda.